The 24th edition of Oshawa Music Week (OMW) kicked off on April 2, 2024, celebrating local talent and musical diversity within the Durham Region.
Organized by the Music Business Management Program at Durham College, the festival’s primary goal is to provide a stage for up-and-coming artists, fostering community engagement through the arts.
The festival’s opening act was the World Music Festival at The Pit in Durham College, showcasing the city’s rich multicultural heritage expressed through various music genres.
Highlights of the week included the GENRE SWAP and Songs Revealed, a special platform for local songwriters to display their craft. The week also features an event called Oshawa Madness, a showcase of metal music of all different genres that takes place at the Biltmore Theatre.
Justy Corbett, an attendee of OMW and an avid music lover, said she couldn’t resist the event and the immersive experience it offered. “I’ve always been passionate about music,” she said.
Eyrica D’Rozarido, an event organizer and a Music Business Management Program student, highlighted that many performers are from the Durham region. “We picked out quite a few people from our forms, those who applied and those who reached out through our social media channels,” she said.
She also said the program is committed to promoting local talent. Eyrica said that she and others organized this annual event, which involved “months of work by students enrolled in the Music Business Management program” at the college. From filling out forms to securing sponsorships,
According to the OMW’s website, event sponsors like Long & McQuade, the DCSA, the Robert Mclaughlin Gallery, and others share the program’s “enthusiasm for independent music.”
For Corbett and others, amongst the diverse group of other attendees and performers, OMW is more than just a festival. He says it captures the diverse celebrations and spirit of music in the Durham Region and provides a platform that diverse artists may not have had access to.